Goss shaping up as Orica-GreenEdge leader

Matthew Goss is training for the Tour de France this month at the Giro d’Italia. He is gaining experience not only in the sprints, like today’s in Montecatini Terme, but in leading a team.

“He’s going quite well here,” Orica-GreenEdge sports director, Matt White told Cycling Weekly this morning. “He’s had days where he’s had to lead and he’s delivered for HTC. I’m happy with what he’s doing here in the Giro.”

Team mechanics and staff walked around the bus, preparing bikes and equipment for the Australian team ahead of the 11th leg.

Insiders have noted that the 25-year-old Tasmanian is stepping up to assume leadership. He contributes in the daily meetings on the bus and leads on the road.

Orica hired Goss to be one of its two leaders with Simon Gerrans. In the last years with HTC-Highroad, he won Milan-San Remo and a Giro d’Italia stage.

Now, he is leading a team in a Grand Tour for the first time. It’s a relatively inexperienced team, which includes debut riders Jens Keukeleire and Daryl Impey, and Jack Bobridge starting his second Grand Tour. Experienced hands, Stuart O’Grady and Simon Gerrans will come in for the Tour de France.

Today, he sat up on a climb with 10 kilometres remaining, still suffering from a crash two days ago. Goss said, “I knew wasn’t happy with the hill. I made the call half-way through the stage. I like to deliver, I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I’d be at the finish. I felt like rubbish, it’s the second day that’s the worse.”

The efforts are important for the Tour de France, where he’ll race for sprint wins and the green points jersey.

“I don’t want to give too much away,” White said, looking around for listeners. “It’s no secret to beat Mark Cavendish, you have to start sprinting in front of Mark Cavendish. It’s as simple as that. He’s been delivered so well in the past. When he starts his sprint, he’s on the front, isn’t he?”

White explained that the team’s resources would put into only stage wins and then the green jersey. The overall classification, he said, is not a consideration.

“We’ll have the resources at the Tour de France to put into the green jersey.”

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